West High Surprises, Impresses With Team Title at Cedar Rapids Invitational
Ryan Murken
Your Prep Sports
CEDAR RAPIDS – West High has all the makings of a team that could surprise at the state cross country meet next month.
On Thursday the youthful Trojans surprised even themselves.
Sophomores Cindy Wang and Gabby Moniza posted top-10 finishes to lift Class 4A No. 16 West High to the team title at the 17-team Cedar Rapids Invitational at Seminole Valley Park.
“100 percent, I think I surprised myself honestly,” Moniza said when asked if the Trojans were a surprise team this season. “I did not think I’d be running this fast but I definitely think we are going to surprise some people.”
Wang finished sixth in 19:17.44 and Moniza was ninth in 19:27.01 as West High finished with 102 points.
Junior Annie Schwartz was 18th in 20:03.69 and senior Sara Alaya placed 26th in 20:35.1 as West High finished eight points in front of runner-up Liberty High.
Liberty High got an individual title from senior Ashlyn Keeney and a fourth-place finish from sophomore Cori Mac while finish with 110 points.
“I’m pretty happy with and I’m really happy with my teammates too,” said Keeney who won in in a course-record time of 18:14.9. “I don’t know what their times were necessarily but they looked good coming in.”
North Scott was third with 117 points, followed by Cedar Rapids Prairie with 129 and Marion with 140.
“Cindy and Gabby are leading our group, they did last week at Pleasant Valley, they did again today and they are two sophomores that I think are going to be super, super good,” West High coach Mike Parker said. “Annie isn’t too far behind that and Sara isn’t far behind that so we have a really, really good four and then we have a lot of girls that could be five.”
West High has been among the premier programs in the state for more than two decades under Parker but has missed the state meet each of the past two seasons.
Last year COVID caused constant complications and interruptions for the Trojans from an early quarantine to a two-week mid-season break caused by a shift to online only classes.
West High traditionally has 10 meets under its belt before the postseason hits.
Last season the Trojans competed in just four regular season meets before placing sixth at the state qualifier.
On Thursday Wang and Moniza began to showcase the potential Parker saw last season.
“Some of these ladies, especially our sophomores we felt last year that they were going to be really good you just can’t do that on a four-meet schedule for new people,” Parker said. “You saw that today.”
A first-year varsity runner Wang has been among the biggest surprises for those outside the West High program early in 2021.
The sophomore surprised herself with her time of 19:17.44 on Thursday.
“I was really surprised but I knew that if we go hard in practice it will pay off,” Wang said. “I felt really good all the way throughout the race. I felt really good and I was super strong all the way and I didn’t feel like I needed to stop.”
After getting comfortable at the varsity level during an abbreviated freshman season Moniza has emerged as another front of the pack runner for the Trojans early this season.
“I used to be super, super nervous before my races,” Moniza said. “I feel like now since I’ve had a cross country season and a track season I feel very prepared and I am more excited to run rather than nervous.”
Add in the experience of Schwartz, Alaya and the talent of another sophomore, Erinn Varga who was 43rd in a time of 21:52.61 on Thursday and the Trojans look like more than just a team that can surprise.
West High looks like a contender again.
“I feel like we have the potential to be a very good team,” Moniza said. “Especially considering we weren’t as good as we could be last year because of our pauses with COVID.”
Cedar Rapids Invite
At Seminole Valley Park
Team scores – 1. West High 102; 2. Liberty High 110; 3. North Scott 117; 4. Cedar Rapids Prairie 129; 5. Marion 140; 6. Dubuque Wahlert 154; 7. Bettendorf 172; 8. Mount Vernon/Lisbon 175; 9. Davenport Central 234; 10. Muscatine 241; 11. Clinton 272; 12. Davenport West 288; 13. Cedar Rapids Kennedy 289; 14. Davenport North 352; 15. Cedar Rapids Washington 366; 16. Waterloo West 420; 17. Cedar Rapids Jefferson 497
Individual leaders – 1. Ashlyn Keeney (ICL) 18:14.9; 2. Hannah Ford (DC) 19:01.21; 3. Lourdes Mason (CRP) 19:07.44; 4. Cori Mac (ICL) 19:12.85; 5. Gabrielle Cortez (CRP) 19:13.67; 6. Cindy Wang (ICW) 19:17.44; 7. Laura Swart (MV/L) 19:21.55; 8. Faith Nead (NS) 19:25.54; 9. Gabby Moniza (ICW) 19:27.01; 10. Camryn Sattler (CLI) 19:32; 11. Bailey Boddicker (NS) 19:33.06; 12. Merin Crowder (DC) 19:38.08; 13. Ellie Meyer (DW) 19:44.5; 14. Kayla Overton (DN) 19:46.83; 15. Emily See (BET) 19:50.75
West High (102) – 6. Cindy Wang 19:17.44; 9. Gabby Moniza 19:27.01; 18. Annie Schwartz 20:03.69; 26. Sara Alaya 20:35.1; 43. Erinn Varga 21:52.61; 48. Brianna Newton 22:01.39; 65. Jasmine Ortega 22:40.89
Liberty High (110) – 1. Ashlyn Keeney 18:14.9; 4. Cori Mac 19:12.85; 30. Hannah Ramsey 21:12.75; 35. Malia Taylor 21:29.23; 40. Grace Ceynar 21:41.8; 62. Brie Klein 22:32.68; 71. Sam Estrada 23:04.18
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